(27 Oct 2014, 8:01 am)Dan wrote [ -> ]Completely forgot about SB starting the Park & Ride. Will have to factor Durham into my trip today now!
Enjoy! I'll try and pop out in a bit to see what the rest of the allocation is.
Are these E200s Euro 6 compliant by the way?
(27 Oct 2014, 8:11 am)aureolin wrote [ -> ]Enjoy! I'll try and pop out in a bit to see what the rest of the allocation is.
Are these E200s Euro 6 compliant by the way?
Probably not, but I'm sure there will be some sort of leniency in the contract agreement for the time being as DCC didn't allow sufficient time for new compliant vehicles to be manufactured.
The allocations that I have seen so far on Durham P&R are:
E200's = KX10 DVN, MX10 KNU, MX10 DXK, KX57 FMF, MX10 DXL & MX10 KNW.
Optare Solo YJ10 MBF and YJ10 EZB (Ex GCT?)
All of the above are in white so the yellow E200's must be out on normal services.
YJ05JWO has been repainted into standard livery and is operating services 110/1/2 today.
Is kx07 dmf the enviro 200 that belonged to hjc buses
Optare Solo SR Demonstrator YJ11OJK is with Scarlet Band and is on 113 Ferryhill today
YJ59NNO (was Central Taxis, Gateshead) on PR1 this morning.
Looks smart in silver
It looked a little less clean on the other side, but still fairly clean.
Would like to see Scarlet Band buy a Solo SR to use on the service, this one was a pretty nice ride as I rode it from Bishop Auckland Bus Station to Ferryhill.
(27 Oct 2014, 12:30 pm)Jimmi wrote [ -> ]YJ05JWO has been repainted into standard livery and is operating services 110/1/2 today.
The other ex Rossendale Solo YJ05JWN has had a similar repaint into standard livery and can be seen on the Chester le Street town service today.
Some suggestions for ways which I may think improve their services. Some will be difficult to change as some are supported by Durham County Council.
SERVICE 16/16A:
The Darlington Town Centre to Harrowgate Hill section of the route often carries very few passengers so I think it should follow the current route between Darlington Town Centre and Mowden Shops then instead of the current loop of Barnes Road, Staindrop Road and Edgecombe Drive, have the service operate via Edgecombe Drive, Staindrop Road and Barnes Road then follow the Arriva 3 route via Claxton Avenue, Fulthorpe Avenue, Lunedale Road, Birkdale Road, Swaledale Avenue, Nunnery Lane, Carmel Road North and then stop outside Cockerton Library then loop back to Carmel Road North via Woodland Road, West Auckland Road, Willow Road, Newlands Road, Deneside Road. The Town Centre to Harrowgate Hill section would be withdrawn.
SERVICE 20:
Withdraw - due to low passenger numbers, would be sad to see it withdrawn as this would leave Neasham, Sadberge and other places with no bus service again but the passenger numbers when I've seen it are terrible.
SERVICE 33:
As I suggested in the past, I think it would be brilliant if this service could be merged with service 113 to restore a direct link between Sedgefield and Bishop Auckland which was lost after Arriva cut service 69 many years ago.
SERVICE 35A - EVENING SERVICE.
Run via DurhamGate instead of A688 between Thinford and Green Lane.
SERVICE 84A:
Extend to start/terminate at Bishop Auckland Bus Station to give a direct link from West Auckland to Darlington on weekdays which was lost after Arriva withdrew their 84 and the Go North East OK1 was also withdrawn. I'm aware that Arriva run an X1 from West Auckland to Darlington on weekday mornings but there is no return journey!
SERVICES 110/111/112:
Alter timings as these services, especially the 110 often seem to be running a few minutes late and change times so the 110 isn't running a few minutes behind the Arriva 8/8A although this may be difficult due to interworking with schools services.
SERVICE 113:
Merge with service 33 to restore direct link from Bishop Auckland to Sedgefield, amend route in Bishop Auckland to U-turn at the roundabout after Asda/Morrisons and head along Newgate Street in both directions so it can swoop some passengers waiting for service 6 on the Morrsions side of the road and serve Bishop Auckland Bus Station in both directions as currently it stops in the Bus Staion heads down Newgate Street then stops near the Railway Station and heads round the back of Morrisons and goes past the Bus Station towards the Market Place. Also leave Ferryhill towards Bishop Auckland 5-10 minutes earlier so it is not running right behind the Arriva service 8 to Spennymoor.
SERVICE X49:
Withdraw - this service has a very tight timetable and can often fall behind time especially around 3pm on schooldays as there is lots of parked cars and lollipop people slowing traffic down often in the 15 minute journey time you'll be lucky to get to the traffic lights at Nevilles Cross its that bad. This service hasn't had many passengers on when I've seen it and most the passengers who do use it are concession passes. Also the Saturday journeys on the X49 were recently withdrawn.
What are your thoughts on these suggestions.
I'd agree with the 84A.
For Service 16 what about going straight down Staindrop Road to Cockerton and then continue onto North Road Morrisons via Brinkburn Road, before heading back on the same route to Mowden. The main problem for the 16 is that Mowden is not very good bus territory, although there may be some demand for journeys from Cockerton to Morrisons. Either way I don't think that Service 16 could survive without its current funding.
you should send your suggestions by email to scarlet band themselves, and then their can tell you why their can't change some of their services because some are secure.
Already suggested merger of service 113 and 33 and extend it from sedgefield to petetlee,but since 33 is secured, scarlet band will not do it unless the council does it, the council won't do it as their are trying to save money.
There's not much scarlet band can do with bus service work unless stepping on other bus companies toes and get them cut off.
(06 Nov 2014, 3:32 pm)John_R wrote [ -> ]I'd agree with the 84A.
For Service 16 what about going straight down Staindrop Road to Cockerton and then continue onto North Road Morrisons via Brinkburn Road, before heading back on the same route to Mowden. The main problem for the 16 is that Mowden is not very good bus territory, although there may be some demand for journeys from Cockerton to Morrisons. Either way I don't think that Service 16 could survive without its current funding.
Problem with sending it to Morrisons direct via Brinkburn Road would be getting it under the bridge near Morrisons, height isn't a problem but the turn going under the bridge is very tight, I went under that bridge on a Metrorider on Service 15 once due to a road closure following an accident.
The 16 doesn't do too bad between the Town Centre and Mowden but most of the time it gets butchered down North Road because of the very frequent Arriva's services. I think we'll soon find out if it survives as the funding should only be enough to get it until the end of next month, but it hasn't been cancelled yet.
(06 Nov 2014, 3:33 pm)cbma06 wrote [ -> ]you should send your suggestions by email to scarlet band themselves, and then their can tell you why their can't change some of their services because some are secure.
Already suggested merger of service 113 and 33 and extend it from sedgefield to petetlee,but since 33 is secured, scarlet band will not do it unless the council does it, the council won't do it as their are trying to save money.
There's not much scarlet band can do with bus service work unless stepping on other bus companies toes and get them cut off.
I think there is some good ideas but it is very unlikely that any of these would happen, mostly as they are supported by Durham County Council and don't DCC decide the routes?
Yes, DDC decides the route etc..., there's no harm in sending your suggestions to scarlet band via email.
Or if the bus service is secured by DCC then you can forward your suggestion to:
SustainableTransport@Durham.gov.uk
(06 Nov 2014, 3:32 pm)John_R wrote [ -> ]For Service 16 what about going straight down Staindrop Road to Cockerton and then continue onto North Road Morrisons via Brinkburn Road, before heading back on the same route to Mowden. The main problem for the 16 is that Mowden is not very good bus territory, although there may be some demand for journeys from Cockerton to Morrisons. Either way I don't think that Service 16 could survive without its current funding.
16 Town Centre - Mowden - Cockerton - Morrisons service suggestion, this is what I've come up with - the timings seem a bit tight though.
Tubwell Row "M" - 10
Millbank Road - 15
Mowden Shops - 24
Edgecombe Drive - 27
Cockerton Library - 31
Brinkburn, Harrison Terrace - 34
North Road Morrisons - 37
Brinkburn, Harrison Terrace - 43
Cockerton Library - 46
Edgecombe Drive - 50
Mowden Shops - 53
Millbank Road - 01
Northgate "A" - 07
Tubwell Row "M" - 08
The bridge near Morrisons still looks pretty tight to get a Solo round though.
Although at the end of Brinkburn Road, you could turn right onto Hopetown Lane to get onto North Road.
Although at the end of Brinkburn Road, you could turn right onto Hopetown Lane to get onto North Road.
I thought that, but it would make the timetable even more tight.
Yes, perhaps it should just go straight up Abbey Road like it used to and miss out Milbank Road, it would save a couple of minutes.
Yes, perhaps it should just go straight up Abbey Road like it used to and miss out Milbank Road, it would save a couple of minutes.
It should shave a minute or two from the timetable, it may lose a few passengers though. Alternatively it could run along Millbank Road and instead of turning back onto Abbey Road it could turn onto Woodland Road.
(06 Nov 2014, 3:33 pm)cbma06 wrote [ -> ]you should send your suggestions by email to scarlet band themselves, and then their can tell you why their can't change some of their services because some are secure.
Already suggested merger of service 113 and 33 and extend it from sedgefield to petetlee,but since 33 is secured, scarlet band will not do it unless the council does it, the council won't do it as their are trying to save money.
There's not much scarlet band can do with bus service work unless stepping on other bus companies toes and get them cut off.
(06 Nov 2014, 3:46 pm)Jimmi wrote [ -> ]I think there is some good ideas but it is very unlikely that any of these would happen, mostly as they are supported by Durham County Council and don't DCC decide the routes?
I don't think DCC would complain about reinstating a through service from Sedgefield to Bishop Auckland - there is a demand for it, and as long as the Sedgefield-Ferryhill section continues as specified there shouldn't be a problem - certainly if it was up to me, it would happen!
I thought that the 85 was commercial between Bishop Auckland and Cockfield whilst being supported by Durham County Council on to Barnard Castle. Therefore it is possible to combine commercial and supported.
(07 Nov 2014, 5:56 pm)Greg in Weardale wrote [ -> ]I thought that the 85 was commercial between Bishop Auckland and Cockfield whilst being supported by Durham County Council on to Barnard Castle. Therefore it is possible to combine commercial and supported.
I heard that too, not 100% if that is the case though.
![[Image: 15458097228_4e61770e0f.jpg]](https://farm4.staticflickr.com/3937/15458097228_4e61770e0f.jpg)
Scarlet Band: MX10KNW by danielgrahamm, on Flickr![[Image: 15457255890_f3dd702e2a.jpg]](https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5602/15457255890_f3dd702e2a.jpg)
Scarlet Band: KX57FMF by danielgrahamm, on Flickr![[Image: 15456693658_2dd5edc2aa.jpg]](https://farm4.staticflickr.com/3932/15456693658_2dd5edc2aa.jpg)
Scarlet Band: YJ10EZB by danielgrahamm, on Flickr![[Image: 15022669283_eeca17cb8a.jpg]](https://farm4.staticflickr.com/3937/15022669283_eeca17cb8a.jpg)
Scarlet Band: MX10DXL by danielgrahamm, on Flickr![[Image: 15643655662_ee034692a1.jpg]](https://farm4.staticflickr.com/3949/15643655662_ee034692a1.jpg)
Scarlet Band: KX10DVN by danielgrahamm, on Flickr